Specified Skills

Educational Textbook for the Fishing Industry Skills Proficiency Test (Aquaculture)
(General, Safety)

Japan Fisheries Association

(First Edition: February 2020)
 Table of Contents

1. Introduction ·······································································································1

(1) Feedless Aquaculture ······················································································1

(2) Feed-Supplied Aquaculture ··············································································2

2. Aquaculture········································································································5

3. Seeds ·················································································································6

(1) Natural Seeds ································································································6

(2) Artificial Seeds ·······························································································6

4. Aquaculture Techniques ·······················································································8

5. Aquaculture Environments ···················································································9

(1) Sea Contamination··························································································9

(2) Eutrophication and Red Tide ·········································································· 10

6. Observation ······································································································ 10

7. Stormy Weather Precautions ·············································································· 11

8. Fundamental Fishing Knowledge ········································································ 12

(1) Fundamentals ······························································································ 12

(2) Safety ·········································································································· 13

(3) Rope Tying Methods ······················································································ 15

1 . In troduction

Seafood is an e xtr emely importan t foo d source for people. To ensure we

can continue c onsuming seafood in perpetuity, we must take c are of our

oceans and be mindful not to take too mu ch. Howeve r, the glo bal

population has increased and the amount of seafood eaten has gro wn,

leading to a reductio n in fishery resource s. Further , in conjun ction wi th

the abundance resul ting from economic growth, mo re and mor e people

want to ea t delicious seafood, but natural seafood production i s limited.

On the other hand, aquaculture te chnologies have improved . As a result,

in addition to "catch ing fisheries" which have been conducted up to now,

"aquaculture" has al so come to thrive . Accordingly, new meth ods and

aquaculture of fish , shellfish, and seawe ed species that could not be

cultivated be fore are on the rise .

The main aquaculture methods in Japan are as follo ws.

(1) Feedless Aquaculture

This is a method in which aquaculture is conducted without people directly

providing feed, making use of salts, food, and other nutrients in the natural water.

・Hanging Aquaculture (Figs. 1, 2)

This is a method of aquaculture in which the organism is cultivated in the water by

attaching it to a rope and hanging it, inserting it into a net, or securing it in a similar

fashion. This method of aquaculture is used for mainly species such as Pacific oysters,

scallops, and laver, wakame, and kelp seaweeds.

-1-
 Figure 1: Pacific oyster aquaculture Figure 2: Kelp aquaculture

(2) Feed-Supplied Aquaculture

This is a method for aquaculture in which sea creatures such as fish or shrimp are

kept in ponds or tanks and given feed to cultivate them.

・Land Aquaculture (Figs. 3, 4)

This is a method for aquaculture in which fish are cultivated in manmade ponds

on land. This method of aquaculture is used mainly for species such as tiger shrimp,

flounder, eel, and trout (such as rainbow trout).

Figure 3: Eel aquaculture Figure 4: Trout aquaculture

・Netted Tank Aquaculture (Divided Aquaculture) (Fig. 5)

This is a method in which fish are cultivated in areas enclosed by nets on the

surface of the water. This method of aquaculture is mainly used for species such as

yellowtail, red sea bream, blowfish, striped horse mackerel, tuna, and carp.

-2-
 Figure 5: Tuna aquaculture

As shown in Fig. 6 , the total fishing yield was highest in 1984 , a t abou t

12.8 million tons, an d falling to abou t on e third o f this peak figure, 4.3

million tons, in 2017 . In addition, the aq uaculture yield (201 7) acc ounted

for abou t 1 /4 of the total fishing yield, showing that i t is an i mportant

form of fisheries pro duction.

Figure 6: Japan's total fishing yield (2017)

(10,000 tons)
800

700

600
Inland fishing and aquaculture
500
Sea aquaculture
400
Coastal fishing
300
Offshore fishing
200 Deep-sea fishing

100

0
1975 1980 1984 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2017

Source: Based on the FY2018 White Paper

on Fisheries

-3-
 As shown in Fig. 7 b elow, the haul amou nts of the main type s of fish are

an important compo nent of fishing production.

Haul amounts of main types of fish in

fishing aquaculture (2017)

Other
(49,900t)

Yellowtail
Red sea types
bream (138,900t)
(59,900t)

Haul amounts of main types of shellfish in

shellfish aquaculture (2017)
Other (400t)

Oysters Scallops
(176,000t) (174,400t)

Haul amounts of main types of seaweed in

seaweed aquaculture (2017)

Other
(55,800t)

Wakame
seaweed
(49,800t)
Laver
(284,200t)

F ig ure 7
So ur ce : " Pro d u c tio n S ta t i st ic s f o r F is hi ng a nd A qu ac ul tu re in
20 1 8, " M in i s try o f Ag ricu l ture , Fo re st ry an d Fi she rie s

-4-
2. Aquaculture

"Aquaculture" refe rs to a method in which a facili ty (b ree ding facility)

that can be managed by people is built, s eeds for cultivation are introduced

to the facility, a favorable envir onment is created through the adjustment

of feeding and breed ing conditions, net r eplacement and pond cleaning, the

movement of tanks and rafts , and the s election o f the depth for lowe ring

into the water, and the seeds are heal thfully culti vated a nd grown to a

sellable size.

In accordance with national law, people who c onduct aqu aculture must

have ob tained licens es for rights o f dema rcated fishery (the ri ght to conduct

aquaculture), and must endeavor to c rea te products that can deliver safe ty

and peace of mind.

Only lic ensed loca tions can be used as cultivation spots . Those who wish

to conduct aquacultu re cannot simply do so wherever they please.

In addition, conducting cultiva tion for a period of days or months, using

the same method as aquaculture to adjust prices, increase the weight o f the

organism, or wait until shellfish poisons have depleted is call ed farming.

-5-
3 . Seeds

Securing seeds is ess ential to conduct aq uaculture.

"Seeds" refe r to young fish and shellfish that can be cultivated a t an

aquaculture facility for organisms. Th ere ar e both natur al seeds and

artificial seeds .

(1) Natural seeds: Species that have a charac teristic of gathering in a

certain place at a c ertain time period a nd can be caught in a si zable

number are caught and used as aquaculture seeds. Example s include

creatures born in th e sea, ri vers, and la kes, such as scallops, Paci fic

oysters, yellowtail , tuna, eels , and sweetfish. For the collectio n of these

natural resources, there are specific time periods, me th ods, and

locations used, and p ermission is require d for each type o r r e gion.

(2) Artificial seeds: T hese seeds are create d by applying sperm to e ggs of the

same species inside a n aquarium, tank, o r o ther enclosure. The eggs are

fertilized , and the seeds are gro wn to a size suitable for aq uaculture

cultivation. These a re or ganisms c reate d with te chnology a nd human

effor t, and this type of seed is used when natural seeds are difficult to

catch or when ar tific ial seeds have advantages such as faster growth or

lower production co sts. So me examples of aquatic li fe cultivated as

artificial seeds are s hown below.

・ Saltwa ter fish: Re d sea brea m, flounder, yellowtail, tuna , tiger puffer ,

etc.

・ Freshwater fish: Sweetfish , salmon , ca rp, ca tfish, etc.

・ Shrimp and crab s pecies: Tiger shrimp, blue crabs , etc .

-6-
 ・ Shellfish species: Pacific oys ters, abal one, mo ther-o f-pearl , etc .

・ Seaweed : Laver , wakame, kelp, etc .

・ Other : Sea ur chin, sea cucumbe r, etc .

*Natural seeds are used for yellowtail and tuna aquacultur e, but the

usage of arti ficial se eds has also increase d recently.

Seeds spawned in aquariums from parent fish or shellfish that live in the

water and seeds s pawned in na tural waters are used as seeds for

aquaculture. For thi s reason, i t is important to prote ct fish and shellfish

that lay e ggs in the water so that they r emain abundant. It i s particularly

important to be care ful to not overfish. This is called "managing resources."

By continuing such management, we can stably procure robust seeds long

into the future .

When fish and shell fish are newl y spawned eggs , fr y, or sp at, most a re

eaten or die due to l ack of food . As they grow, fish gain improved swimming

ability, shellfish develop tougher shells, and the propor tion o f deaths

decreases.

However , no ma tter how bi g they grow, s ea c reatures will die if the wa ter

quality suffers . Thu s, in addition to the management of fishing resources ,

improvement of water quality is also essential fo r stable operation o f

aquaculture.

-7-
4 . Aquaculture Techniques

Newly spawned fish and shellfish are extremely small and we ak, and have

very li ttle ability es cape from predators, eat, and digest food . Accordingly,

seeds are cultivated in the early stages b y adding seawater fil tered through

a land-based aquarium to adjust the te mperature and an a mple supply of

easily-digestible feed with portions sized a ppropriately for thei r gro wth . The

facilities necessar y fo r these opera tions differ from th ose used fo r

aquaculture, so early-stage culti vation is conducted by a fishery cooperative

with a specialized te chnician, seed producer, or similar specia list.

In aquaculture , the seed is procured, c ared fo r, and gro wn . The most

important elements in such care are ensuring that oxygen-rich, sanitary

seawater and nutrie nt-rich feed are thor oughly dispersed and that healthy

growth is a chieved without the incidence of disease until shipment. In o rder

to a chieve this, care must be taken to ens ure tha t seeds do not suffer illness

by keeping them fro m bec oming too dens ely packed , providing high -quality

feed in the necessary amounts and at appropriate inter vals, and maintaining

a fa vorable environ ment through changi ng tank ne ts and/or ponds. At first,

the seed are small, so many hatchlings are intr oduced to the culti vating

facility (the cage, a quarium, or tank ). However , in order to grow fish o r

shellfish, it is also i mportant to conduct management to gra dually reduce

the numbers kept in the culti vating fa cility (the ca ge , aquariu m, or tank ) as

the fish or shellfish grow. In addition, it is also important to ensure no

attached matter is i ntroduced when adding seawate r so that it’s fr eshness

can be main tained.

In aquaculture, c onsidering the number of seeds firs t in troduced to the

cultivating fa cility (the cage, aquarium, o r tank) as 100%, pro duction plans

to achieve o ver 80 % of this quantity unlo aded 2 to 3 years la ter.

-8-
5 . Aquaculture Environmen ts

(1) Sea Contaminati on

The seas (or rivers) must always be kept in a clean sta te, but the amount

of nutrient salt and harmful substances that flo ws in from h ouses, plants,

and fields where humans live on land is extremel y high , and this is said to

be the cause o f the majority of sea conta mination.

In aquaculture , this contamination c an cause fish or sh ellfish being

cultivated to suffer illnesses or die. M oreover , culti vators must also be

careful to a void rais ing seeds in con taminated environments because this

can negatively a ffe ct the health o f consumers (people).

[Types of Contamination]

・ Contamination fro m land:

Detergents tha t flo w in from places where people live , sewage

(contaminated water ) and fac tory wastewater, fer tilizers and livestock

feces and urine that flow in from fields a nd ranches, and leftover feed

and excremen t (urin e and feces ) fro m places where fish and shellfish

are cultiva ted

・ Contamination res ulting fro m waste th rown into seas o r ri vers

・ Contamination res ulting from oil (there is a great deal of da mage fro m

oil that leaks from s hip accidents)

・ Chemical substances: contamina tion re sulting from chemica ls such as

dioxin, mercury, and cadmium (there have been cases o f huma ns being

harmed in the past, so it is necessary to take precau tions aga inst such

contaminants)

・ Contamination re sulting from the fl ow of mud and/or sand from

development in loca tions such as mountai ns and along the coa sts

-9-
 (2) Eutrophication and Red Tide

Eutrophication re fers to an e xcessive increase in mine rals such as

nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and silico n (Si) which bec ome nutrients for

phytoplankton. This is caused by from sources such as factories and

households disposing o f wate r which contains an abunda nce of these

elements.

Red tide refers to a state in which c ertain types of phytopla nkton become

excessive due to eu tr ophication, causing the color o f the water to change to

red or b rown.

Eutrophication and red tide cause oxygen in the wa ter to decrease and

phytoplankton to bec ome stuck in the gill s of fish , killing them. As a result,

these conditions exe rt a major impact on fishing and aquacul ture.

6 . Obser vation

There water at the coast is alwa ys in motion due to the oc eanic currents

and the rise and fal l of the tide. Due to this flow, water is exchanged at

aquaculture locatio ns so that hatchlings can sufficientl y breathe, and

various types of phytoplankton enter thes e facilities. Howe ver , the seawate r

can become contami nated due to har mfu l substances from la nd, and i f the

exchange o f water is insufficient, there is a nega tive impact on gro wth and

maturation.

- 10 -
 At aquaculture l ocations, water fo r cultivation is dra wn, the wa ter

temperature , salinity, and oxygen conten t are tested, and obs ervations are

carried out to veri fy whether there is an unpleasant odor or the color o f the

water has changed. I n particular, a t time s when a typhoon ha s passed by or

a large amount of ra in has fallen, e tc ., the salinity ma y be l ow (the water

may be s weet) over a large ran ge or wa ter may be clouded b y soil, so it is

necessary to be cauti ous.

7 . Sto rmy Wea ther Pre cautions

When strong winds or hi gh waves oc cur due to lar ge low pres sure syste ms

or typhoons, aquacul ture facilities may b e destroyed . I t is important to pay

close atten tion to we ather fo recasts , look into the strength of strong winds

and high wa ves and the direction of low pr essure systems and typhoons that

are approaching, an d endeavor to mini mize the damage to aquaculture

facilities. When ther e is a possibility of a typhoon approaching, ra fts must

be moved inside the bay and preparations such as increasing mooring ropes

and inspecting the facilities are require d.

In addition, tsuna mis are one exa mple of a frigh tening di saster. Japan

has the highest inci dence of earthquake s in the world, and p eople who live

close to the sea must be a ware that a tsu nami could occur as a result of an

earthquake and take precautions acc ordingly.

If you are close to the epicenter of an earthquake, you sho uld assume a

tsunamis will occur immediately. On the coast of Okushi ri Island in

Hokkaido and the co astal areas o f Iwa te Prefecture and Miyagi Prefec ture,

tsunamis occurred within 10 minutes of nearb y ea rthquakes, and many

people were killed. Moreover , there is a risk even for earth quake tha t did

- 11 -
not occur in Japan. When the Valdivia earthquake o ccur red in South

America, a tsunami reached the Japanese coast after so me time and

suddenly increased in height, causing massive damage to ships and

culturing ra fts.

When a tsunami co mes, there are extre mely lon g intervals b etween wa ves,

and particularly due to the energy of wa ves in shallow wa te rs, the ocean

level suddenly rises, potentially engulfing people, ships, and b uildings. The

strength with which a tsunami strikes the coast is e xtremely high, so much

so that e ven if the water le vel is only up to a person's kn ees, it is still

impossible to mo ve.

When a tsunami comes, a tsunami warning is issued by simultaneous

broadcast throughou t the town or city. If you feel an ear thquake, it is

important to assume tha t a tsunami wi ll strike immediately and make a

plan to eva cuate to a n elevated area far a way from the coast.

8 . Fundamental Fishing Kno wledge

(1) Fundamentals

・ Pay attention to your health on a daily basis in order to wo rk safel y.

・ In the event of an illness or injury, be certain to r eport i t to the captain.

・ Give yourself extr a time so that you a r e not late to board the ship.

・ On the ship, a void feuding with o ther c rew members and di sturb the

order.

・ The unnecessary u se of open flames is prohibited. Also be c autious of

smoking.

・ When on the ship, refrain from walking around with your ha nds in your

pockets.

- 12 -
・ After using tools for various operation s on the ship, quickl y put them

away.

・ When the ship is moving, be care ful n ot to sti ck your hand s or feet

outside of it.

・ Be careful not to o bstruct the view of the people steering th e ship.

(2) Sa fety

○ Clothing (Fig. 8)

・ When wor king on the wate r (on deck ), b e sure to wear a wor k-use life

jacket. Life ja ckets a re required when ab oard a ship.

・ Wear a hard hat (helmet) to protec t you r head.

・ When performing dangerous work , use a sa fety belt and a l ifeline.

・ Wear proper clothi ng to avoid getting c aught in mo ving mac hinery and

ropes.

・ When handling wi res, ropes, and simil ar mate rials, wear s afety glo ves.

Wear a helmet
Safe
Securely fasten your
chinstrap

Wear a work-use life jacket

Safety gloves

Securely fasten the buttons on

your clothes (such as the sleeves
and collars)

Wear shoes with non-slip soles

(such as boots)

Fig. 8: Safe clothing for work operations

- 13 -
○Precautions when o n the water

・ Before commencin g work , ensure you h ave a grasp of the wo rk details and

sufficient time to co mplete the operation s.

・ When the work are a is conta minated wi th oil o r fish blood, c lean it.

・ If you witness someone fall into the sea , no tify those around you in a

loud voice and cas t s omething that floats , such as a life preser ver (life

buoy), into the sea. Do not attempt to sa ve the person b y yourself.

Float

・ Be careful not to a pproach moving ma c hinery.

・ Be careful not to c arelessly approach r opes or wires being used. Be

careful that your le gs do not ge t tangled in wrapped ropes.

・ When you arrive a t a wor k loca tion, co nfirm the loca tions o f steps and

where ropes are arra nged.

・ Be especially care ful when it is dark , when you are ge tting on and off

the ship, and when you are moving to ano ther ship. Also be ca reful when

crossing planks.

・ When hoisting a h eavy ob ject using a c rane, confirm that there are no

people under the loa d. Never carelessly a pproach the area under a crane ,

even when it is not moving. In addition, a special license is necessary to

operate a crane .

- 14 -
(3) Rope Tying Meth ods

・ Sheet bend kno t, double sheet ben d knot: Also re ferr ed to as an

Englishman's knot. This knot is used wh en tying the ends of two ropes of

the same thickness. The knot does no t ea sily come undone, a nd it is also

used when sewing nets. When tying r opes with diffe rent thicknesses or

ropes that tend to sli p, a double sheet b e nd is used.

(1) (2) (3)

(1) (2) (3)

* The upper images show ho w to tie a sheet b end knot, and the lowe r

images show a doubl e sheet bend knot.

- 15 -
・ Clove hitch : Use d when tying the end of a rope to anothe r object.

(1) (2) (3)

(4) (5)

(1) (2)

( 3) (4)

- 16 -
・ Bowline knot: an important tying method used for applications such as

anchoring. The proc ess differs depending on whe ther the k not is being

draped over an objec t or not.

(1) (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4)

(1) (2) (3) (4)

- 17 -
・ Anchor bend: this is a safe , dependable kno t used in si tuations such as

when tying a rope to an anchor and lower ing it into the water.

(1) (2) (3)

(4) (5)

- 18 -